Barbados is looking to up the ante with a dazzling lineup of international performers, including singing legend (in some peoples eyes) Lionel Richie and musician Jill Scott, who will add to the makeup of the thirteenth Annual Barbados Jazz Festival. The event is penned to be an assortment of music for every taste, from up and coming talent to jazz purists. The festival is scheduled for January 9 to 15 next year. he jazz bash will be staged at various locations, among them the historic Sunbury Plantation House, Heritage Park, set in a rum Factory, the Garfield Sobers Gymnasium and the lush and breezy Farley Hill National Park. It´s the perfect time to explore this leading Caribbean destination.

The Canadian Tourism Commission will be launching their new European brand at the 2005 World Travel Market on the Central Stage at ExCeL on November 14. The fact that so many Canadian provinces, territories and tourism partners have decided to return to the event shows great support for the brand and its implementation. Their commitment has been secured for a three year period. Along with the introduction of new Canadian Tourism Commission UK Managing Director, Maggie Davison, the Canada stand will also be home to some new and returning exhibitors.

Organizers of World Travel Market are introducing many new initiatives and developments this year to keep the event fresh and relevant. The improvements range from a brand new Ministers Program to a sophisticated means of matching visitors to exhibitors, providing all registered delegates with information about their stated areas of product and geographical interest.

Counterpart International has confirmed Nassau, Bahamas as the venue for the next full-scale Caribbean Media Exchange on Sustainable Tourism (CMEx) event from December 8 to 12, 2005. Directors of the international non-profit development organization in Washington D.C. made the announcement today. The Bahamas conference follows ten other regional media exchanges since October 2001 which gathered regional and international media personnel with tourism experts and officials.

A five-day regional workshop on tourism statistics and information management ended last week in Antigua. The workshop, organized by CTO in collaboration with the European Union-funded Caribbean Regional Sustainable Tourism Development Program (CRSTDP), sought to enhance participants´ knowledge and understanding of existing, new and emerging tourism statistical and research methodologies. Participants also shared experiences and study best practices in tourism information management, statistics and research. It targeted senior and mid level statisticians, researchers and persons responsible for managing and coordinating tourism statistics at the national tourism organizations and national statistical offices.

The Dominican Republic is gearing up for the upcoming Dominican Jazz Festival –scheduled from October 20 to 23- an event that will turn the beachside towns of Puerto Plata, Sosua, and Cabarete into lively entertainment venues. Each day will feature a line-up of recognized musicians from countries such as the U.S., Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.